CHAPTER 8
BETTER BETWEEN US
The two were at a loss for words. They both attempted to say something when the school bell rang signaling for them to return to class.
“We should probably get back to class,” Reighley said.
“Okay,” Freya replied. The two made their way back to class 2-B. On their way back Freya stopped Reighley before the two entered the classroom.
“So are things okay?” Freya asked.
“For now,” Reighley answered. Finally, the two entered the classroom and took a seat at their desks. When the two walked by Destiny, they both noticed a smug look on her face. They thought she looked as if she knew something they didn’t. Destiny looked over at the two and leaned in to whisper.
“How was the smooching?” Destiny said. Reighley and Freya both choked on the air itself in response to her comment.
“That didn’t happen,” Freya whispered. She looked over towards Reighley who couldn’t bear to look her way after that comment and blushed.
“Yeah, whatever you say love birds,” Destiny said. Afterward, the class's next teacher entered the room and proceeded to teach math to the students.
During class, Reighley couldn’t help but cloud his mind with thoughts of what he told Freya on the rooftop.
“Why did I say that? That’s so lame!” Reighley internally screamed. “I can’t believe I said love. What did I even mean by that?” While the teacher was in the middle of a lesson, a loud slam noise could be heard in the back corner of the classroom. It was Reighley. He slammed his forehead on his desk loud enough to disrupt the entire class.
“Mr. Summers, do we have a problem?” The math teacher asked. Her name was Cynthia Clevens. She always wore white business attire and had black hair and green eyes. She was twenty-one years old, single, and unmarried.
“No ma’am,” Reighley answered. Afterward, he sank into his desk chair and almost couldn’t contain his embarrassment. This answer infuriated Ms. Clevens.
“I am not a ma’am.” She thought. “I am an attractive young woman.” At this point, the entire class was looking toward Reighley. Freya looked over at him with concern as she had no clue why he would do that to himself.
“Are you okay?” She whispered. “I could get my best doctors in, to check on you, if you're not feeling alright.”
“No. I’m okay.” Reighley replied and shook his head no. Reighley looked back toward his teacher Ms. Clevens and noticed she was looking directly at him. He didn’t need to see her aura to recognize that hostile expression she was giving him. Her aura, however, once looking at it, appeared in both red and black colors. The colors were separate but also melded in and out of each other. Reighley thought it reminded him of magma. He wondered how much anger was built up in his teacher. It was as if she was a volcano. He could only pray he wasn’t on the receiving end of the irruption.
Freya found it hard to focus. Unlike the embarrassed Reighley, Freya found conviction in the words she was told. “What does it mean to be a good person?” she thought. “Does he think I’m not one? I'm super nice.” Freya began to doubt herself but then convinced herself that she could figure it out. “I want him to know me better. I want him to think I’m a good person.” Freya looked over at Reighley during class and came up with an idea. She was going to learn more about Reighley through his younger sister. “I’ll just take her out on a shopping trip and spoil her, and maybe exploit her for information on her brother.” She felt as though she couldn’t just pry into his personal life through him just yet. Freya knew Reighley didn’t have a father in his life, and assumed that might be part of why he is the way that he is, but couldn’t be certain. She figured this would be the best way to learn more about Reighley without bugging him.
Reighley felt as though something was off with Freya. When he looked at her, he saw a flash of gray around her aura, and he could only prepare for the worst as it meant she was planning something. Soon the class was over and it was time for their homeroom period. This was a short break to eat or do other things. This break usually only lasted between five to ten minutes before their next class started. A couple of female students went up to Freya and Reighley and stood in front of their two desks.
“So we heard the rumors. You held Reighley’s hand when you entered the school, right?” The female student asked.
“Yeah, are you two dating?” The second female student questioned.
Reighley glanced at Freya waiting for her to brag about how the two went on a date but noticed something was off. She looked back at him, anticipating an answer. Realizing that the ball was in his court he decided to reply.
“Yeah, Freya is my girlfriend now. We went on a date this weekend.” Reighley answered.
“Wow! No way, she really did tame the beast like the rumors said.” One student said to the other. Reighley took offense to the comment, but at this point, sly comments toward him began to affect him less and less.
“Don’t call my boyfriend a beast,” Freya said with an angry expression. The two girls looked at each other and then bowed to Freya in fear.
“We’re sorry!” The two girls said in unison and then scurried out of class. Freya made a mental note to trash the two girls on social media for having the audacity to disrespect Reighley after knowing they were dating.
Freya began to realize that people tended to see Reighley poorly due to his past, but she knew that he was a nice guy. She decided to post one of the photos of them at the amusement park together on SocialLight. She thought if people knew Reighley was her boyfriend. They would stop harassing him. Freya was scrolling through her photos, attempting to find the perfect one to post. She thought about posting the one she saved as her phone wallpaper but after considering it, decided that it was for her eyes only. In the end, she couldn’t decide.
Suddenly Ms. Clevens, who was currently gone, reentered the classroom and approached Reighley.
“Mr. Summers. Since you interrupted class earlier, I decided to assign you on clean-up duty after school.” Ms. Clevens said. After School Clean Up Duty was assigned to students to do after school. It was mandatory because it taught students to clean up after themselves and be responsible. However, in some rare cases, teachers would assign it to students who weren’t on duty for that day as a way to reprimand students who misbehaved.
“Okay, sure.” Reighley didn’t mind. He didn’t think of it as unfair treatment as he did slam his head into his desk disrupting the class. Ms. Clevens was unhappy with this response.
“What do you mean, ‘okay sure?’ You’re not supposed to be okay with it.” Ms. Clevens thought. “Alright well, at least you understand your mistake and are willing to own up to it.” Ms. Clevens said.
Freya was watching this all unfold when Reighley’s words echoed into her mind. This was her chance to be a good person.
“I’ll help too!” Freya interjected. When she said this the whole classroom uproared. Freya was the only student who didn’t have to participate in after-school clean-up duty. Due to her father owning eighty percent of the school as an investor, the Gilford High School Teachers Union decided it would be unsightly for Freya to work.
“That isn’t necessary Ms. Young.” Ms. Clevens said. “I am sure you are aware, you are not required to participate in clean-up duty.”
“I know, but even still, I want to do it.” Freya thought this would be a good way to nonchalantly ask Reighley if she could come over so she could take his younger sister out for some shopping.
Reighley was shocked to hear this. “Does she even know how to clean?” He thought. He bet that Freya had never done physical manual labor a day in her life. “Was this because of what I said? He wondered if something began to stir up inside her heart.”
“Well, if it is what you want, I cannot say no.” Ms. Clevens answered. It wasn’t as if she could deny her wishes. She hoped that it wouldn’t come and bite her later on. Ms. Clevens walked away from the two and felt dissatisfied with her results from the intervention. She felt it best that since Freya Young was involved she wouldn’t press it any further, so she made her way to the nurse's office. She often spent most of her time during her breaks there speaking with her good friend Kaede. The two would chat about things that happened in and out of school to help Cynthia get her mind off stressful things and relax.
After Ms. Clevens left, Reighley noticed Freya looking toward him. She had a look in her eyes, and he was sure he knew exactly what was going on inside her head. It was like her face had, “See look, I can be a good person.” written all over it. Although Reighley appreciated the help, he needed a break from Freya and other people. He was an introvert at heart and was reaching his limit on how much social interaction he could handle before he needed to be alone.
“Looks like it will be just the three of us!” Destiny chimed in. Freya and Reighley leaned over and looked at Destiny who was smiling at the two.
“What?” The two said together.
“I’m on clean-up duty too! Oh boy, was I surprised you volunteered to help Freya. Even when we were kids you always made me clean up the toys we played with together.”
“Well, that’s very true,” Freya said. When she was younger she liked bossing Destiny around. There wasn’t any need for Destiny to pick up all their toys as children since that was what the maids were for. She did it because, near the start of their friendship, she found Destiny annoying.
Reighley, glancing at Freya began to question the type of “friendship” Destiny and Freya had when they were younger, he guessed if it was more of a servant and master type of relationship than a friendship, but decided not to think about it.
The school bell rang yet again and class started shortly after. During the remainder of their breaks, Destiny spent time informing both Reighley and Freya of the duties they would help with after school was over. During lunchtime, Reighley ate the ramen that Ulysses made for him and couldn’t have been more satisfied. He was given cold soba noodles soaked in a dripping sauce. It was even tastier since it was free. When classes finally ended for the day, the three stayed behind to work together. After school, clean-up duty only took a maximum of fifteen minutes and normally it was done with two students. They would use brooms, vacuums, and mops, to clean the floor, and then take the trash out as well as clean the chalkboards.
Reighley began to sweep the floors, and Freya was given a vacuum. Freya began to move the vacuum without it being on. She ended up getting instantly frustrated as she wasn’t sure how to operate it. Reighley noticed her struggling and decided to help.
“Here, you need to turn it on, after it’s plugged in,” Reighley said, afterwards he plugged the vacuum in and showed Freya how to use it. Freya was embarrassed by her incompetence, but Reighley didn’t blame her for it. He figured by the way people treated her, that she had everything done for her in her life. He thought this was a good opportunity to learn what it was like to be a normal everyday person. Destiny was on the mop and trash duty. After a spot was swept and vacuumed she would mop the area that was just cleaned. After twelve minutes passed the three were done cleaning, and all that remained was taking the trash bags out of the room. Destiny lifted two filled trash bags but couldn’t swing them over her shoulders. Reighley didn’t know if she was being dramatic or not but it looked like she was struggling from it.
“Here, I’ll take one,” Reighley said. Destiny looked at Reighley in awe, as if he was an angel sent down from heaven above. Reighley was handed a bag and was impressed Destiny was able to lift two of them at once, as they were not light in the slightest. Reighley being kind made Freya irritated. She wanted Destiny to take the trash out alone so she could be alone with Reighley, but she couldn’t fault him for ruining her plans and being a nice person. Suddenly the classroom door opened up behind the two.
“Hello, bestie,” Ulysses said, acting coy.
“Hey dude! What’s up, what are you doing here?” Reighley asked.
“Well, I was waiting at the school entrance so I could get that ramen container back,” Ulysses said. Although that was true, he also wanted to hang out with his new friend for a little bit before they had to go home. Ulysses noticed Reighley and Destiny looked like they were struggling with what they were holding. He looked over and saw Freya who seemed impatient with the situation. He wondered if he and Destiny were interrupting Freya and Reighley from having a moment. Ulysses saw this as a moment to prove himself once again. Deciding to be a true friend, Ulysses went into wingman mode.
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“Hey, would you two like some help with those?” Ulysses asked.
“Sure that would be great” Reighley replied before immediately getting interrupted. Ulysses hoisted both bags out of Reighley and Destiny’s hands and single-handedly swung them over his shoulder. Reighley was flabbergasted, as those bags combined weighed well over 60kg. He thought Ulysses truly was a powerhouse and wondered if he was involved with any sports.
“Hey Destiny, can you show me where to take this stuff?” Ulysses asked.
“Oh don’t be shy now Uly. You can call me D. We’re friends, right? We have been since you helped me the other day.” Destiny replied.
“Umm… Okay, D, can you show me where this goes?” Ulysses said.
“Sure Uly,” Destiny replied while going out the classroom door. Ulysses looked at Reighley and Freya and gave his signature thumbs-up before following Destiny. Freya’s opinion of Ulysses improved once again. “It looks like I owe him one, yet again.” She thought.
Reighley was putting away the cleaning equipment back into the cleaning closet that was in the corner of the room. When he was done he turned around to see Freya too close to him. He looked into her eyes and could see her aura. Her dark purple aura arrow was pointed in a random direction which made him confused. He expected her to have the arrow pointed at him since he was alone with her. Nevertheless, he still wasn’t comfortable being ambushed by her.
“Hey Reighley, could I come over?” Freya asked.
“What, why!?” Reighley asked. Reighley had many questions. Why would she ask to come over, and wasn’t it improper for her to be at his house? “Just what are you planning?” He thought.
“I want to see your house.” She claimed. Freya got closer to Reighley. He was almost pinned against the wall.
“Freya please, you already tried this tactic once, it doesn’t work on me. I don’t break that easily.” Reighley said.
“Tch, fine.” Freya scowled. “What do you want then, more money? I can pay you.”
“Are you trying to bribe me, again?” Reighley asked.
“It worked last time.” She jested.
“Just tell me what you’re planning. I just want you to be honest. You can’t solve everything with money, Freya.” Reighley told. Reighley knew she wasn’t wrong. The only reason he dated her is because she was his ticket to get his family out of crippling debt. It was to pay off the house they lived in, and their tuition. Even so, it wasn’t going to help her in this case. Reighley strengthened his resolve and decided that no amount of money she offered him would tilt his favor towards her, as that wasn’t good for her in the long run.
“How about 1,000,000 yen? (6,875 USD)” Freya asked.
“1,000,000 yen!” Reighley thought. “That would cover a quarter of a semester here at Gilford High. I could really use- ``No!” Reighley stopped his train of thought. “I can’t. I told myself I wouldn’t be bribed by her.” Reighley gulped and then stood tall. “No.” He said.
“It really won't work huh?” She asked. “Fine, I want to meet your sister.” It finally clicked with Reighley. That dangerous arrow was pointing toward his house. The fact that she knew the exact direction of his home was astounding to him. He stood there and thought it through. It wouldn’t hurt if she met Isabelle. He thought it may even lower Isabelle’s suspicions of him. She was already thinking Reighley was robbing places, even if it was a joke. Reighley thought this could be a good step forward for Freya and he knew he couldn’t lie to his sister forever.
“Okay fine, you can come over this weekend, but only because you were honest. Just so you know, you’re not coming inside! I’ll introduce you at the door and you can meet her there.” Reighley answered
“Yay!” Freya hugged Reighley. Reighley froze in astonishment, he wasn’t sure how to react. Freya looked at Reighley and saw he appeared aloof from the physical touch, but she could see through his guise. He was blushing, though she could barely see it. Freya guessed he had never received a hug from a girl that wasn’t family. She thought it was cute. She made a mental note to ask his sister if he had ever had a girlfriend before her.
“Oo, spicy.” Destiny said as her head peaked through the door.
“This isn’t what you think!” Reighley tried to explain and Freya didn’t say a word, but instead only blushed.
“Yeah, yeah, get a room,” Destiny said with a familiar smug look on her face. Ulysses walked in behind Destiny and saw Reighley backed into a corner by Freya. He wondered what all happened in the few minutes he and Destiny were gone.
“I’m like the greatest wingman ever.” Ulysses thought.
While Freya was distracted by Destiny’s comment, Reighley took this opportunity to escape by sneaking past her. Once he escaped he scurried towards Ulysses.
“Here, bro.” Reighley handed Ulysses his container back. “Thanks again.
“No problem,” Ulysses answered.
“Hey, I was wondering for a while now, but do you play any sports?”
“Uh, no.” He replied.
“What, how come!? You’re an absolute unit! You would dominate in any physical sport.” Reighley questioned.
“I’d rather cook.” He replied. Ulysses was constantly asked to join sports clubs, but he didn’t like sports. Seeing people’s reactions to eating the food he made was far more rewarding.
“Wow, I didn’t expect that out of you. Although it makes sense, your cooking is incredible. Would you like to work for my family when you’re older?” Freya asked.
“I don’t know if my parents would be too happy if I abandoned the family shop,” Ulysses replied. This was true, but the future scared him. He wasn’t sure if he was good enough to become the head chef of his family’s restaurant. He always pictured his older brother Sunny who ended up being the one who ran things.
“Freya, you really should get to know Ulysses better. He’s kind and like a big brother!” Destiny replied.
“I’ve never had a brother before. Well, I wouldn’t be opposed to inviting him to future gatherings.” Freya said. She didn’t mind having him around, as he has time and time again, proved himself to be on her side when it came to Reighley and her being together. “I’ll throw some event together that the four of us can go to.”
Freya’s words unnerved Reighley from the thought of what plan she may come up with. He figured it would be something as crazy and extravagant as when the group met together on the school rooftop for the first time. He knew it was out of his hands now as Freya was like a force of nature.
The four soon finished chatting in the classroom and made their way to the entrance of the school. Waiting there for Freya was Herald. He was standing outside of the Young family's limousine. Herald looked towards Freya and noticed something he hadn’t seen in quite some time. Freya was smiling with friends other than Destiny.
“Lady Freya, I’m glad to see you are doing well,” Herald stated.
“Hello, Herald. Thank you for waiting.” Freya replied. She turned towards Destiny, Reighley, and Ulysses and spoke. “I’ll be seeing you all soon.”
“Later,” Reighley replied.
“Bye-bye!” Destiny said.
“See ya,” Ulysses said while raising his hand briefly to wave.
Herald assisted Freya with her stuff and opened the door for her to enter then the two left the school. Reighley Destiny and Ulysses were standing at the entrance and Destiny was picked up by who the two could only guess was her father. Once it was just Ulysses and Reighley, the two began to walk from school together back to their houses. Reighley talked with Ulysses about how they were some of the only students who walked to school. The other students of Gilford High usually had a ride. He asked Ulysses why he didn’t ride to school like other students and he was told that his parents wanted him to grow up like a normal student. Ulysses told Reighley about his family being born into wealth from his mother’s side of the family and how he hardly got to see her. Reighley felt as though the two had something in common, as neither of them was able to see their mother often. Reighley thought it best to exchange phone numbers with Ulysses so the two could chat more. Soon the two made it to a point where they could no longer walk together and needed to go their separate ways to return home. So, the two said their goodbyes and left.
While walking home alone, Reighley reflected on the day. He thought back to the events that happened. However, whenever he tried to think of anything, he pictured Freya, either when she cornered him, or on the rooftop. The more he spoke with her, the more he thought she was growing on him. Though he may be getting special treatment because Freya wanted his attention, he knew she was compassionate. With the addition of Ulysses and potentially Destiny as a friend as well, he thought things were getting better at school.
Reighley was interrupted from his thoughts by the sound of his phone in his pocket. He received a text from Kaede.
Kaede: Hey Reighley! Miss you. You haven’t stopped by the nurse’s office to see me recently. I spoke with Ms. Clevens and she told me you got in trouble in class today.
Reighley: Yeah, sorry. I’ve been busy. I’ll stop by soon.
Kaede: Well, I still plan on coming over for dinner this weekend. You invited me over last week, remember?
Reighley: I remember. I’ll see you then.
Kaede: It’s not good to keep a lady waiting, you know. I’ll be there Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
He lied. Reighley had completely forgotten he invited her over. He placed his hands on his head and began to panic a little.
“Oh, shoot,” Reighley said aloud. He realized that Freya was also coming over that day. Reighley worried that if Freya saw how overbearing Kaede was, things could get ugly. Thinking quickly he pulled his phone out to send a text message to Freya, but heard another beeping sound from his phone. His fears came true. He checked his phone and saw he received a text from Freya.
Freya: Hey. You never told me what was a good time to come over. How does 6:00 p.m. sound?
Reighley: You could come over a little earlier. Around 5:00 p.m.
Freya: I can’t come over any earlier. I have a movie shoot I need to go to. I won't be done until 5:30 p.m. It would probably take 20-30 minutes to get to your house.
Reighley: Okay, sounds like a plan.
Reighley’s heart was filled with anxiety. Things were set in stone. He worried that if Freya didn’t like Kaede, then Freya could cause Kaede to lose her job as the school’s nurse. He hoped that Freya would arrive at 5:50 p.m. so he could introduce her to Isabelle and then kick her out. He felt bad about having to do something like that to Freya since she was looking forward to coming over, but he thought it would be for the best. When Reighley arrived home he was greeted by his younger sister Isabelle.
“You’re later than usual again,” Isabelle stated.
“Had after-school cleaning duty,” Reighley replied. “Is Mom home?”
“No. She’s working overtime again. She picked me up from school on her break. She won’t be back until tonight.” She answered.
“Okay. Well, Kaede is coming over for dinner this weekend.” He explained.
“Really! I haven’t seen her in so long! I’ll be sure to whip up her favorite food for dinner.”
“Also, you know my boss is coming over for a few minutes as well.” He didn’t want to tell her they were technically dating just yet. “She said she wanted to meet you since you were my sister and all.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll make some extra food for her as well.” Isabelle said.
“Oh, no need. She is only stopping by for a few minutes.” Reighley told.
“Well, I’ll have some just in case,” Isabelle said. Reighley knew there was no winning with her so he let it slide. Reighley went to his bedroom and somehow ended up with a cat in his curly hair. Morgana leaped from the top of Reighley’s bunk bed and attached his claws to his scalp. After a brief yelp, Reighley unhooked Morgana from his head and held him in his arms. He played with the cat for a while before studying.
“Hey, buddy. What do you think, should I just cancel the dinner date?” Reighley asked the cat.
“Mow.” The cat replied.
“Yeah. I thought so too.” Reighley replied. “Looks like I’m screwed.” Reighley spent the rest of his night studying after dinner. When Jericho finally arrived home from work it was almost time for bed. She approached the garage door and gave it several knocks.
“Hey. How’s my boy doing.” Jericho asked.
“Mom!” Reighley replied with excitement. He opened the door and hugged his mother. When he saw her, he could see how worn out and exhausted she was. She was only 38 but was starting to get gray hairs from all the stress due to working so much. “How was your day?” He asked. Jericho told Reighley about her work as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She loved sharing stories about her kids with the elderly she worked with. She informed Reighley that he had in essence, a bunch of grandparents he hadn’t met yet.
Reighley couldn’t help but feel guilty. His mother was working herself to death for his future. He reminded himself that he was running out of time. He needed to work harder before her condition got worse. Even if that meant graduating a year early. The sooner he got into a university the more time his mom could take it easy and finally relax.
“I’m sorry Mom. You’re working so hard for our sake. I wish we weren’t such a burden on you.” He said.
“You watch your mouth, young man. You two kids are my pride and joy. You are not a burden.” Jericho said sternly.
“Sorry,” Reighley replied. “Hey, by the way, Kaede is coming over this weekend for dinner. Also, there is something I need to talk with you about.”
“Oh, I hope I will be home by then. That girl absolutely adores you, you know?” Jericho said.
“More like she absolutely smothers me,” Reighley muttered, with rolled eyes.
“You used to say you wanted to marry her when you two were younger.” Jericho teased.
“Mom, Stop!” Reighley coiled up from embarrassment. “Please don’t bring that up during dinner.”
“No promises,” Jericho said. “So, what is it that you would like to tell me?”
“Well, a friend of mine may be coming over around that time for a little bit as well.”
“Oh, I’ll ask Isabelle to cook some extra food!” Jericho insisted.
“No, no, she will only be around for a few minutes. There is no need for that.” Reighley interjected.
‘’She?’” Jericho said with a grin.
“Oh, crap,” Reighley said, facepalming his forehead. “Mom, it’s not what you think. She is just a friend.”
“Hmm, whatever you say. Isabelle!” Jericho shouted.
“Yes, Mom?” Isabelle yelled from her room.
“Make sure you make extra food on Saturday for our guests.” She told
“I already planned on it!” Isabelle replied.
“Please somebody kill me.” Reighley thought. He grunted in frustration and embarrassment and proceeded to kick his mom out of his room. “I’m going to bed. Night Mom, love you.” Reighley said while slamming his door shut.
“Night dear, love you too,” Jericho called with a mischievous tone and went off to her room.
Reighley climbed into bed with Mornaga and began to dread the upcoming weekend.
“What is wrong with the women in my life?” Reighley thought. “Can’t a guy catch a break?”
Morgana began to claim a section in the center of his bed forcing Reighley to be uncomfortable. His mind wandered back to when he first saw how his mother appeared at the door. His mood was soured by the thought of his absent father. Every time he saw his mother exhausted, he became more and more jaded and resentful towards him. He blamed his dad for being the sole reason his mother was working so hard. When Reighley was five, his mother was assaulted by his drunken father. It was the first time and last time something like that had ever happened in his life. During the attack, Reighley attempted to hold his father back but was thrown aside. His mom was forced to tell Isabelle to call 911. Later that night, his father was arrested. Soon after he lost his job and he refused to look for work, blaming his wife for all of his problems. Without his job, he fell into a depressive state. From this, he continued to spiral out of control with his abuse of alcohol. Jericho, running out of options, had enough. She left him, taking the kids with her. Reighley hated the similarities he and his father shared. The fact that they both had the same blood and had criminal records infuriated him. He refused to continue to follow down his father's path. Reighley promised himself long ago that he would become the true man of the household and take care of his family. This was his duty. He had to put them first no matter the cost.
Lost in thought, Reighley dozed off and fell asleep cuddling Morgana. For the rest of the work week, Reighley spent most of his free time studying, only socializing during school hours. He made an effort to text Freya, as he was afraid he would lose his job if he completely ignored her outside of school.